Demolition of the seating at Canada Games Plaza is underway as Tourism PG revamps the space for more outdoor use.
Tourism PG has announced an open-air container market will be located at the plaza outside of the Prince George Conference and Civic Centre as a way to enhance the space. It will be in place in time for the Festival of Trees, which begins Nov. 27.
There will also be a skating rink installed using synthetic panels allowing for year-round enjoyment.
“What’s going to happen to start is there will be four shipping containers,” said Colin Carson, chief executive officer, Tourism Prince George.
“So the one we’ve been operating all summer as our visitor centre will remain and then there will be three more up against the plaza building so that’s why the seating is being removed. From a space standpoint that’s what needed to happen.”
Carson said that after talking with partners who use the plaza, they knew they needed to make sure that it still allowed for events to take place.
“Hopefully the market adds to these events and makes them better,” Carson said. “To do so we needed to make sure we weren’t putting the containers right in the middle, allowing for things like stages to come in so that’s why the seating needed to be removed.”
On the practical side, the containers can access power from the plaza building.
“So it will be four shipping containers and the artificial ice that will all be in by the end of November,” Carson confirmed.
“The rink will see plastic tiles go into the current footprint of the rink.”
He outlined the plans for the market.
“The open-air container market, once it’s up and running, will be a rental container, so we’ll have skate rentals. As well, in the summer we'll lend out bikes and fishing gear," he said. "For the other two they will be collaborative containers, we’re calling them, where it’ll be a variety of locally produced goods and things like that. It will be offered as a low barrier for artists and creators here in Prince George to have their stuff showcased.”
Carson said they want the plaza space to be available year-round so there will be additional lighting placed around the plaza and the skating rink as it gets dark so early during the winter.
As the situation with the unhoused in the community continues, Carson said Tourism PG, which spent the summer in the middle of the plaza, had only positive interactions with users of the space.
“We’re looking to have the space be welcoming to everyone,” Carson said. “And we’re looking for everyone to essentially follow a code of conduct like you would see at the Public Library. We want to make sure people are being respectful and it’s a safe environment because we want everyone to use the space.”
This is a big opportunity for Tourism PG as the new visitor centre is put in place at the rotunda between the Civic Centre and the library. It will be ready to welcome the public into the space at the same time the container market opens.
When big events come into the Civic Centre, to be able to activate the space outside is invaluable, Carson added. “The people visiting the space won’t only spend more money because the market is right here but hopefully it will also leave them with a really positive feeling about Prince George and hopefully attract some return visits because of it.”
